Governor Gianforte Praises BLM Decision to Cancel American Prairie Reserve Bison Permits

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today praised the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) proposed decision to cancel grazing permits authorizing bison grazing previously issued to the American Prairie Reserve (APR).

"Today's decision by BLM is a win for Montana's ranchers, our agricultural producers, and the rule of law," Gov. Gianforte said. "For years, we have raised serious concerns about the federal government's failure to listen to the folks who live and work the land. By proposing to cancel these permits, BLM is finally acknowledging that federal overreach cannot come at the expense of our local communities and the production agriculture that feeds our nation. I'm proud of our administration's work to achieve this decision and I would like to thank Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and BLM for following the law and putting Montanans first."

The proposed decision marks a significant victory for agricultural producers and rural communities across Montana and the United States, reversing a prior federal authorization that allowed APR to graze non-production bison on over 63,000 acres of federal public lands.

The governor has long opposed BLM's initial approval of the grazing permits, citing violations of the Taylor Grazing Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The State of Montana, along with local ranching families and organizations, argued that replacing production livestock with non-production bison damaged the local economy and ignored the statutory requirements for federal grazing permits.

"We have always said that the law is clear: grazing permits under the Taylor Grazing Act are for domestic livestock production, not for creating a massive nature reserve that displaces families who have stewarded this land for generations," Gov. Gianforte continued. "I am grateful the agency has taken a hard look at the facts and corrected this error. We must ensure that public lands remain accessible and productive, rather than being locked away for the vision of special interests."

In 2022, the Gianforte administration appealed the initial BLM decision, arguing that the permits exceeded the agency's authority and that the federal agency failed to adequately analyze a number of issues, including the economic impacts on local communities, concerns regarding fencing and containment, and impacts to Montana's state trust lands. The administration pointed out that many state trust lands are fenced "in common" with BLM lands, and that the permits resulted in unauthorized bison on those trust lands. Today's proposed decision aligns with the governor's call for federal agencies to coordinate with state officials and prioritize the stability of Montana's number one industry.

"This administration will always stand with our farmers and ranchers against federal overreach," Gov. Gianforte concluded. "We will continue to protect our way of life and ensure that Montana voices are heard in Washington, D.C."

In September 2021, Gov. Gianforte, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Montana Department of Livestock, and the Montana Department of Agriculture objected to BLM's environmental analysis and proposed permit issuance, explaining the deficiencies and requesting the permits be denied. Despite these objections, BLM authorized the grazing change in July 2022.

In August 2022, Governor Gianforte and executive branch agencies appealed BLM's authorization to the Department of Interior's Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), where the matter has persisted, unresolved. In December 2024, the Gianforte administration filed an action in federal district court, seeking review of OHA's failure to stay the BLM decision pending its administrative appeal. In February 2025, the Governor wrote to Secretary Burgum asking him to assume jurisdiction and vacate the unlawful grazing permits.

In September 2025, Gov. Gianforte and the entire federal delegation wrote to Secretary Burgum, highlighting the stalled appeals process and explaining how the issuance of grazing permits to "rewilded" conservation bison undermines Montana's production livestock industry and the law. Following the Secretary's assumption of jurisdiction in December, BLM issued the proposed decision to cancel the permits today.

BLM's proposed decision may be viewed here.

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